New Zealand Hamilton Mission, October 2015 — Insights, wisdom, and truths learned
Truths and thoughts from October 2015
- October 2015
- We were privileged to hear Elder Kevin Pearson, the Area Authority, speak to senior couples in Foster Road Chapel in Temple View.
- The “Tones of Aoteroa” sang. They are remarkable, and are led by Auntie Lil, the sister of Sister Shaw that we loved so much in Waitara.
- Elder Pearson shared with us his impressions and thoughts from the General Conference week earlier this month. He was in many meetings during the week that included the First Presidency, the Quorum of the 12, and the General Authority Seventies. He said that this conference was “special” for many reasons.
- He said that if the members of the Church focused primarily on the fact that three new apostles were called, they missed some other very important parts of the conference.
- He reiterated that the Book of Mormon is critical in our preparations for the Second Coming of the Lord. The Book of Mormon is not an “epilogue” to Nephite and Lamanite history, but is a “prologue” to the coming of the Lord.
- He quoted Nephi (Lehi’s brother) who, around 23 B.C., said “Oh that my days had been in the times of father Lehi, that he would have delighted to live in those days.” Not downplaying those statements, Elder Pearson told us how happy he is that his ministry is now, in these days! He said it at least three different times during his talk.
- He said that a person would need to be either stupid or blind to not see that we are in the “Red Zone” regarding the Second Coming of the Lord.
- Plead for the Savior to come. Pray for all of us to be prepared.
- Elder Holland said that the ‘ablation’ mentioned in Section 59 is a broken heart and a contrite spirit.
- Taking upon ourselves his name – do as Christ did in reaching out to all, succor, lift, weep for, bless others
- His name? His role, his desires, his life
- Pray for a surge in the number of senior couples.e mentioned that he discerned four important themes in his meetings with the Twelve and during General Conference.
1/ Transition- We are definitely in a transition time
- Revelation is often locked into a time and a place and a setting
- Elder Oaks’ name was actually read first before Nelson, but he had to finish up work at the Court so Nelson was ordained first
- Sister Pearson shared an experience she had with Sister Perry. Shortly before his death, Sister Perry found Elder Perry pondering. He said to her, “It is my time to go. We need newer and younger men to come into the quorum. It is time to call the older members home.”
- Elder Pearson said we are witnessing the “liberation” of the Twelve.
- He feels Elder Nelson will have a dramatic impact on the Twelve and the church. He snow skis every Monday during the winter.
- We will also witness a transition in the role of the Twelve
- With the increasing transparency of the Joseph Smith Papers project, there will be another transition. Criticism will increase. Harder questions will be asked. We will need to have “oil in our lamps.” The seer stone information is an example. He urged us to read the Turley article in the Liahona about the seer stone. We can’t get hung up on the mechanics of the gospel, but stay with the doctrine.
2/ Intensification
- The brethren are going to intensify the importance of doctrine and true teachings.
- They will “double-down” on pure doctrine and the observance of it. The emphasis on the Sabbath Day is an example.
- Families, Faith in Christ will be other examples.
- Don’t let “practices” distract you from “doctrine”.
- Distraction and deception are the two primary weapons used by Satan.
- Remember, key doctrines, core principles.
- Elder Oaks has recently corrected what he called “doctrinal drift” concerning the Atonement. There is now a tendency in the church to separate The Atonement from Christ himself, as if the Atonement is some independent power or force that can act upon us, separate from the power of Christ. This must not be allowed to happen.
- He asked us to intensify our prayers for President Monson. We need to pray specifically that he will have the ability to act in his holy calling, and to do what is needed to move the work ahead. Pray specifically for his mental and physical abilities. His diabetes is having an effect on him.
3/ Focus
- There will be a focus on the training of teachers.
- The Sabbath must be tied to the Sacrament. If we keep the 4th Commandment, keeping all of the other 9 will be much simpler.
- Fasting and Fast offering are key and vital.
- President Eyring was asked to add some comments in one of the meetings. He said, “The Father and The Son have been watching us in this meeting. They are smiling down upon us, but the Father is saying, ‘Ask me for more of My help!’ We should focus on His willingness to help us, not on “our” problems.”
- We should pray for all of Father’s children with the same intensity that we pray for our own children.
4/ Urgency — Pray for an increase in the number of senior couples.
- Miscellaneous thoughts and instructions during this month
- Levels of motivation
- Our desires reflect our motivation.
- There are three levels of motivation
- Fear, in which we act to avoid consequences
- Duty, in which we act to meet the expectations of someone else
- Love, in which we serve out of love for others and for God
- The parable of the 10 virgins teaches much about motivation. All ten of them were obedient and dutiful, but only 5 of them knew “why” they were waiting and thus prepared properly.
- A man walked into a Sacrament meeting in a Hamilton ward dressed in overalls and gum boots. He sat on the second row from the front. A woman seated behind him leaned forward and said, “You can’t come in here dressed like you are.” He promptly stood up and left. The bishop, who heard the whispered rebuke, left the stand, chased down the man as he was leaving the chapel, and brought him back into the meeting. The bishop sat next to this man in the congregation for the rest of the meeting. Which member of the ward represents us and our feelings?
- The work is supposed to be hard.
- Levels of motivation
- October 27, 2015 — NZHM Senior missionary training seminar
- A minister from the East coast came to Salt Lake City. He went on a Welfare Square tour and became converted during his three hours there. His wife had skipped the tour and instead had gone to their hotel to read. She started reading the Book of Mormon and became converted during her reading. When they linked up later that morning, they were both filled with the spirit of conversion. He resigned as a minister and they were both baptized into the Church. One year later, they accepted a missionary call to serve as a couple in Florida. Their mission president was Elder Glen L. Rudd.
- Elder Witt loved dancing when he was a young person. He happened to meet some members of the BYU dance team. He asked them, “What makes your church different from other churches?” They shared with him a Joseph Smith’s Testimony pamphlet and a copy of the Book of Mormon. They told him that these things are what makes our church different from others. He read the pamphlet three times in a row without stopping! He recognized the Joseph Smith experience as a fantastic and wonderful story. He wondered what the Book of Mormon would be like, and he dove into the reading of that book. The spirit bore witness to him of the truth of the book!
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